Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

It was announced in good faith subject to those two caveats. The best approach is to ensure the screening programme will be fully operational next year, which will be achieved through an extra €25 million and the treatment plans. Many other European countries have not introduced the vaccination programme, for very similar reasons. It is a question of making clinical choices based on the best outcome.

Deputy Kenny should note it is not that we have scrapped the programme or that it will never be put in place, but that we are saying we cannot start it next September. It was appropriate to make that clear.

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